Police: San Ramon man found dead near Alturas

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the death of a San Ramon man this week after he was reported missing over the weekend during a motorcycle excursion and later found dead.

The Modoc County Sheriff's Office issued a notice Wednesday that the identity of a body found on the South Fork of the Pit River, four miles south of Alturas, was that of William Knight, 73. , a San Ramon resident, who was reported missing by SRPD on Sunday.

Knight was last in contact with his family last week during a motorcycle trip. He then said he was in Lakeview, Oregon, near the California border and about 400 miles from San Ramon.

“Mr. Knight's son reported that his father took a motorcycle trip to Idaho and had not been heard from since May 30, 2024,” an SRPD spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday. Embarcadero Media.

Modoc County police began a search Monday in the Alturas area, about 350 miles from San Ramon, where Knight's cell phone was last pinged at the request of SRPD.

Local law enforcement in Alturas was assisted in the search that extended into Tuesday afternoon by the SRPD, CHP and Knight's family, with his body eventually discovered later that day after a driver south of Alturas called 911 after discovering a body in a river off Highway 395.

After responding to the scene, police also located Knight's motorcycle and informed his family.

CHP investigators determined that at some point between May 30 and Tuesday, Knight drifted to the right on his motorcycle for unknown reasons, eventually going off the road before the motorcycle was overturned in the river and Knight is ejected. It is unclear whether drugs or alcohol played a role, according to a CHP news release.

The CHP investigation was ongoing Thursday afternoon.

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